Robert Downey Jr. has left Sam Raimi's OZ, THE GREAT AND POWERFUL, reports Heat Vision. Now Disney is in talks with Johnny Depp to take on the lead role in the WIZARD OF OZ prequel. The studio wishes to get the film into production by Q3 or 4, but Depp is already committed to making DARK SHADOWS in the spring, so scheduling could be tight. If Depp does decide to take the role, it would push off the start of Disney's LONE RANGER, in which he will play Tonto.

OZ tells the tale of the magician who after running away from his traveling circus gets blown away in a hot air balloon to Oz, a world ruled by two magical wicked witches.